Petite Tray Time!!

Do you like searching for fun things to display in your home?  I know I do and I am usually looking for something specific and two things tend to happen 1) hard to find what I want and 2) usually way too expensive.  Sooooo that leaves me thinking up alternatives.  I have been loving these mini/petite monogrammed trays I've seen in magazines lately and wanted one for myself and for my daughter's room.  I plan to put my rings and nail oil/hand lotion I use every night before bed on mine...just a neat place to keep everything organized.  My daughter will use her's for her jewelry that she takes off at night as well.  But every beautiful tray I liked was super expensive...and well, I'm a crafter and a DIY kinda gal so I knew I could replicate them in my own way.  And you know what?  They would make AWESOME gifts too!!

These small ceramic trays from Jill Rosenwald cost $200 each..OMGEE I like them but I don't $200-kinda-like-them if you know what I mean!  Especially not for something that is 12"x9"!

And these acrylic trays go from $40 up to $100 on different sites...they are cool but not for that much of my money!

So off to AC Moore (it is like Michaels or Hobby Lobby stores if you don't have one) I went to get some small unfinished wood trays that I had seen awhile back (Darice is the brand name).  They came in a 3 pack for around $8 and then I got one by itself that had more fancy edges for $3.  And I had a 20% off coupon...SCORE!  So basically these 2 trays I made cost me about $9 total.  Picture below is similar to the trays I bought except mine had holes cut out for the handles.

Supplies Used:

-unfinished wooden trays

-sand paper or sanding block

-glossy paint in fave colors

-scrapbook paper or other decorative papers

-Modge Podge (I used the glossy version instead of matte)

-computer, printer, dies, Silhouette Cameo

And this is how mine turned out!  Not hard to make and at a total price of about $10 for both I think I got a GREAT DEAL! 

The black tray is for my bedside table...I love black and cream together...always elegant.  I painted my tray with a glossy black paint that I had on hand (FREE) and lined it with scraps of scrapbook paper I had on hand (FREE).  Since the trays were unfinished wood I sanded the edges really good anywhere there was some roughness...I like using a sanding block as its easier for me to grip.  The scrapbook paper was cut to fit and then glued down with Glossy Modge Podge and then another coat on top.  I created my monogram on Photoshop Elements and printed it out on cream cardstock.  I cut it out with my Spellbinders oval dies including a black mat for the cream monogram to lay on top of (remember at my core I'm a 100% paper crafter LOL).  Then I glued it down with more Modge Podge and then gave the whole thing another coat of Modge Podge to finish it off.  Ta Da!

This is Alexa's tray for her NEW bedroom (more to come on that very soon, waiting on a few things to come in).  The paint I used for this tray was the same paint I used on an accent wall in her room...its low VOC and satin finished so it worked well too.  I cute the letter "A" with my Silhouette Cameo machine (ooohhhhh let me count the ways I love that machine) and the swirls were done with a Spellbinders die run thru my Cuttlebug.  Same process done with Scrapbook paper and Glossy Modge Podge.  It matches her room and I think it turned out really cute...errrr she's almost 17 so I'll say COOL instead heehee!

So if there are some fun decorative accents out there that you are drooling over but you cannot find in your budget...think of some fun ways to re-create them.  You can usually do it easily and cheaply...these trays took me about 1 hour from start to finish.  Not bad at all!

I will have a few more DIY accents to create in the near future too...I have a lot up these crafty sleeves hee hee!

Linking this post to the fabulous blogs/Linky Parties as well:

PJH Designs

Life on Lakeshore Drive

Kathe with an E 
One More Time To...Celebrate!
Get Your DIY ON! (thrifty upcycle)

I'm linking this up to A Bowl Full of Lemons fabulous Linky Party!

Have you re-created something you saw at a store or online cheaper and perhaps BETTER?

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